Illuminated electrosurgical devices generally include a hand piece (handle) ergonomically adapted for ease of manipulation by a surgeon during surgery, and for positioning an energy tip of the device to deliver electrical energy to a target tissue for tissue cutting or coagulation. An electrode and electrical supply cable are generally disposed within the handle, traversing from the handle's proximal end through the handle body, and terminating in an energy discharge tip at the distal end of the device. The electrical supply cable typically is connected to an energy source, such as a radiofrequency (RF) energy generator.
The handle or other portion of the device may include an illumination element for illuminating the surgical field. Light may be conducted towards the energy discharge tip and directed onto the surgical field via an optical waveguide coupled to the handle or disposed within the handle. The electrode may be disposed within the optical waveguide, or disposed alongside the waveguide. The electrode and waveguide may be disposed within a suitable supporting structure (for example, a cylindrical metal tube), that may be slidably extendable or retractable to permit the electrosurgical device to elongate or shorten as needed to treat the surgical site.